Golf club



GOLF CLUB Filed 001'.. 2, 1930 Patented Nov. 20, 1934 GOLF CLUB William Tyler Aldrich,

Springfield, Mass., as-

signor to A. G. Spalding & Bros., Chicopee, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application october 2, 1930 serial No. 486,011

21 Claims.

This invention relates more particularly to means for securing the shafts of golf clubs to the heads thereof, and aims to provide a construction particularly adapted for securing steel shafts in such a manner that they may be readily inserted and firmly mechanically locked or anchored in position.

A further object is to provide a construction in. which, in case of breakage of the shaft, the

part remaining within the hosel may be readily removed and a fresh shaft supplied. l Another object is to provide a construction which, when embodied in a shaft having a torsion sleeve between the shaft end and bore of the hosel, will firmly anchor the shaft in the hosel without interfering with the torsional movement.

With these and other objects in View the invention includes the novel construction herein- 2o after described and dened by the appended claims.

What I at present consi'der the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a front elevation with the hosel and part of the shaft in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on line 2 -2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the shaft only.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the shaft only.

Fig.. 5 is a perspective View of the screw plug with integral locking dogs.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing, the numeral 1 designates the club head having the usual hosel 2, provided with tubular bore to receive the shaft 3, which is usually made of steel tubing. 4 designates a torsion sleeve commonly formed of rubber fitted within the bore of the hosel, the lower end of the shaft being inserted in the bore of the sleeve with a close or drive rit. The presence of the rubber sleeve allows a certain amount of torsional movement of the hea'd relative to the shaft under the im. pact of the drive as is well understood by those skilled in the art. v

To enable the shaft to be securely locked or anchored in the hosel by its lengthwise movement when inserted therein without interfering with the torsional movement I provide Ameans such as the following.

In or at the lower end of the hosel I provide a threaded recess 2a preferably drilling a hole at the bottom of the hosel bore and tapping it with a left hand thread (in clubs for right hand players), into which recess. is screwed a plug 5 having a spring fork or resilient `arms 5a pref-'- erably integral therewith such arms having at their upper ends outwardly and backwardly. or downwardly inclined or Y beveled faces 5b terminating in` downwardly facing shoulders ,5c. Means are Vprovided for screwing the plug and fork into the recess which in the embodiment shown takes the form of a kerf 5d whereby the plug may be screwed into position before the shaft is inserted. f

The shaft is provided within its tubular lower end with abutment means for engaging the spring dogs formed by the arms and abutments.

Such abutment means are preferably formed by inserting in the lower end of the shaft a ferrule 6 which is secured in position byv brazing or spot welding, such ferrule having at its lower end an inwardly extending annular flange or shoulder 6a, the hole formed by this shoulder being as large or slightly larger in diameter 'than the external dimensions of the arms of the spring fork but less than the abutments thereon.

In the operationof assembling when the shaft is forced down into the bore of the hosel the inclined faces of the spring dogs engage the shoulder and further movement of the shaft presses the arms towards each other until the shoulders of the dogs -or arms pass above the annular flange of the thimble, when the dogs spring into' locking engagement therewith.

.In this position they efiectually lock the shaft but do not interfere with the torsional movement. Should the shaft break, Which usually occurs adjacent the top of the hosel, and it 'is desired to substitute anew shaft, it is only necessary to insert a screw driver into engagement with the kerf and back out the screw lplug whereby the shaft end and spring fork and plug are removed together. On reinserting the plug the club head is ready for application of the new shaft.

I claim: y

1. The combination with a golf club head of a tubular shaft insertible in said head, abutment y means within the lower end of said tubular shaft, and yieldable dog means anchored and housed within the hosel at the lower part thereof and engageable with said abutment means.

2. In combination, a golf club head, a shaft having a tubular lower end engaging the bore of the hosel of the club head, an annular shoulder` within said tubular end, and yieldable dog means removably anchored and housed within the hosel and engaging said annular shoulder.

3. In combination with a golf club head havroo ' ing a hollow hosel, a plug in the lower end of said bore, means rendered operative by rotary movement of the plug for engaging and disengaging it from said bore, a shaft having a tubular lower end inserted in said bore and having an internal shoulder and a spring dog carried by said plug and engageable with said shoulder. t

4. In combination with a golf club head having a hollow hosel, the bore of said hosel having a threaded portion adjacent its lower end, a threaded plug engaging said threaded portion, spaced apart resilient arms carried by said plug having outwardly facing inclined ends terminating in downwardly facing shoulders, a shaft having a tubular lower end provided with an in.- wardly extending annular flange to engage the vshoulders of said resilient arms.

5. A golf club according to claim 4 in vwhich the plug is provided with a non-circular recess'y n hosel provided with a torsion sleeve, a shaft having a tubular lower end fitting within said sleeve, and a connection between the shaft and hosel consisting of an annular shoulder carried by one of said parts, and spring dog means carried by the other part for engaging said annular shoulder, said annular shoulderbeing in one plane at right angles to the axis of the hosel and allowing relative circumferential yielding `of the shaft and hosel under restraint of the torsion sleeve which lies between the shaft and hosel.

8. In combination a golf club, a club head having a hollow hosel, a shaft-adapted to fit down within the said hosel and havinga tubular lower end, means located at the lower end of the bore of the hosel to automatically engage a portion of the lower end of the tubular shaft to hold said shaft in place, said automatic engageable means being removable with the shaft and being accessible for its removal through the hollow shaft, substantially as described.

9.' A golf` club comprising a head having atubular hosel, a hollow shaft insertible within the hosel, and interlocking means between the shaft and hosel automatically locking the parts together as a consequence of seating the shaft within the hosel, said locking means ibeing accessible through the hollow shaft for detachment of the partsfor renewal of the shaft, substantially as described. t Y

l0. In combination in a Vgolf club, a hollow hosel, a` hollow shaft inserted within the hollow hosel, said parts having interlocking means interiorly disposed in relation to the said hollow hosel which are interlocked vas a result of thrusting the shaft inthe direction of the axis within the hosel without turning and av rubbertorsion sleeve between the hosel and the shaft, substantially as described. t

11. In combination in a golf cluba shaft, a hosel, ldog means carried by one of said parts and engagingthe other part when said parts are seated relative to each other, and a shock absorbing sleeve of vresilient material Ybetweenthe hosel and shaft, substantially as described.

12. In combination in a golf club, a hosel, a

shaft, one of said parts having associated therewith an annular shoulder, and dog means carried by the other part for engaging said shoulder, substantially as described.

13. In combination in a golf club, a head having a hosel, a tapered shaft, detachable connecting means between the shaft and hosel comprising resilient interlocking means and resilient shock absorbing material interposed between the shaft and hosel, said interlocking means allowing a torsional movement of the hosel relative to the shaft substantially as described.

14. In combination in a golf club, a head having 'a hollow hosel, a shaft inserted within the hosel and spring locking means carried by one of said Yparts and engaging the other when the parts are properly seated, for holding them together and a torsion sleeve of rubber between the shaft and' hosel, held under compression by the shaft and hosel, said spring locking means allowing relative torsional movement between the hosel and the shaft substantially as described.

15. In combination in a golf club, ai hosel, a shaft, a rubber sleeve under pressure of and between said parts, and providing a torsional connection between them, and means connecting said lshaft and hosel to hold them against axial displacement while permittingthem to have relative yielding movement circumferentially under restraint ofthe rubber sleeve. Y

16. A golf club according to claim 15 in which the holding means comprises a springmember on one part and circumferentially extending shoulder on the other part, with which the spring member engages as a consequence of placing the parts together in operative relation.

17. In combination in a golf club a hosel, a shaft, a rubber sleeve under pressure and 'formingv a torsionally resilient connection for the shaft and hosel, and means of connection between the shaft and hosel independent of the sleeve for preventing the backing out tendency of the pressed rubber from axially displacing the shaft from its prescribed relation to thehosel, said means of connection exercising itsshaft holding function independent of the rubber sleeve substantially as described. i f

18. In combination in a golf club, a 'hollow hosel, a shaft insertable within the hollow hosel, means located in part at that portion of the lower end of the shaft which lies within the hollow hosel when assembled therewith in prescribed relation thereto, and in part on and within the lower part of the hosel, the parts of said means interlocking for holding the shaft in place against l' axial separation, as a consequence of themovement of the shaft into its place within the hosel, said holding means permitting a torsional movement of the head and hoselunder the impact against the ball and a torsion sleeve between the shaft and the inner wall of the hosel.I

19. A golf club according to claim 1,7 in which said means comprises amember connected with the hosel, contacting with'a member connected with the shaft, substantially as described.

20. A golf club according to claim 17 in which said means comprises a member vconnected with the hosel, contactnga member connected with the shaft, said members beingcapable of f assuming different positions relative to each other about the axis of the shaft and hosel, substantially as described.

t. 21. In combination in a golf club, a hosel, a shaft, a rubber sleeve within the hosel, providing a torsional connection permitting limited relarit the said rubber sleeve, said means of connection being carried in part by the hosel independently of the rubber sleeve and in part being directly associated with the shaft, substantially as described.

WILLIAM TYLER ALDRICH. 

